The Origin and History of the English Language, and of the Early Literature it Embodies

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C. Scribner & Company, 1867 - English language - 574 pages

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Page 561 - Dangerous it were for the feeble brain of man to wade far into the doings of the Most High; whom although to know be life, and joy to make mention of his name; yet our soundest knowledge is to know that, we know him not as indeed he is, neither can know him: and our safest eloquence concerning him is our silence, when we confess without confession that his glory is inexplicable, his greatness above our capacity and reach. He is above, and we upon earth; therefore it behoveth our words to be wary...
Page 98 - Think not that strength lies in the big round word, Or that the brief and plain must needs be weak. To whom can this be true who once has heard The cry for help, the tongue that all men speak, When want or woe or fear is in the throat, So that each word gasped out is like a shriek Pressed from the sore heart, or a strange wild note, Sung by some fay or fiend...
Page 103 - Wiltshire men overcame, but both dukes were slain, no reason of their quarrel written ; such bickerings to recount, met often in these our writers, what more worth is it than to chronicle the wars of kites or crows, flocking and fighting in the air?
Page 425 - Or call up him that left half -told The story of Cambuscan bold, Of Camball, and of Algarsife, And who had Canace to wife, That owned the virtuous ring and glass, And of the wondrous Horse of Brass, On which the Tartar king did ride...
Page 71 - Pro Deo amur et pro Christian poblo et nostro commun salvament, d'ist di in avant, in quant Deus savir et podir me dunat, si salvarai eo cist meon fradre Karlo et in...
Page 563 - Tamen quoniam bonus mundum rector temperat, recte fieri cuncta ne dubites" "let no man doubt but that every thing is well done, because the world is ruled by so good a guide," as transgresseth not his own law: than which nothing can be more absolute, perfect, and just. The law whereby he worketh is eternal, and therefore can have no...
Page 564 - ... unchangeable; the counsel of God, and that law of God whereof now we speak, being one. Nor is the freedom of the will of God any whit abated, let, or hindered, by means of this; because the imposition of this law upon himself is his own free and voluntary act. This law therefore we may name eternal, being that order which God before all ages hath set down with himself, for himself to do all things by.
Page 562 - ... must needs be author unto itself. Otherwise it should have some worthier and higher to direct it, and so could not itself be the first. Being the first, it can have no other than itself to be the author of that law which it willingly worketh by. God therefore is a law both to Himself, and to all other things besides. To Himself He is a law in all those things, whereof Our Saviour speaketh, saying, My Father worketh as yet, so I.
Page 491 - I answerd that dyvers men holde oppynyon that there was no suche Arthur and that alle suche bookes as been maad of hym ben but fayned and fables, bycause that somme cronycles make of hym no mencyon ne remembre hym noothynge, ne of his knyghtes.
Page 409 - Lok who that is most vertuous alway, Prive and pert, and most entendith ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, Tak him for the grettest gentil man. Crist wol we clayme of him oure gentilesse, Nought of oure eldres for her olde richesse.

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